


to be loved, and to be in love

by andersens



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-17 05:02:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16968168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andersens/pseuds/andersens
Summary: "I’m not going. I’m sick.”“Like for real sick?” Auston asks, looking suddenly concerned. “Or don’t feel like going to class sick?”“For real sick,” Mitch says, pulling his blanket more tightly where it’s cocooned around him.





	to be loved, and to be in love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lotts (LottieAnna)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LottieAnna/gifts).



> I'm late, but happy hanukkah lotts!!!!! I love you so so so so so so much and I hope you enjoy this. 
> 
> title from 18 by one direction

“Hey,” Auston says as he enters the living room and sees Mitch on the couch. “Aren’t you supposed to be in econ right now?” 

Mitch turns his head and sees Auston tugging a hoodie on, his hair messy as he emerges. “Yeah,” Mitch says. “But I’m not going. I’m sick.”

“Like for real sick?” Auston asks, looking suddenly concerned. “Or don’t feel like going to class sick?” 

“For real sick,” Mitch says, pulling his blanket more tightly where it’s cocooned around him. 

“Oh, bro, that sucks. I’ll go get you some gatorade. Do you need anything else?” 

“No, I’m okay. Thanks,” Mitch says, tilting his head back against the couch and closing his eyes. 

A few minutes pass before Mitch hears footsteps approaching and then Auston nudges his head. 

“Here,” Auston says. “I know you said you didn’t want anything else but i brought you some toast too. Eating will be good for you.” 

“Thanks,” Mitch says, a grin breaking over his face. “You didn’t have to but I really appreciate it.” He takes a small bite and washes it down with some of the Gatorade. Blue, his favorite. 

“I’ll be back after classes. I have a few in a row today but I can skip if I need to so text me if you need anything, okay?” 

“Yeah,” Mitch says. “Thank you, but I’ll be fine.”

Auston squeezes his shoulder and heads for class and Mitch slowly eats the rest of his toast. He’s not really nauseous or anything, but he doesn’t want to risk it. So he keeps eating slowly until it’s gone, washing it down with the Gatorade as he goes. 

He lays down on the couch once he’s finished. And finds an episode of _Nailed It_ to watch as he falls asleep. He’s achy and feverish and his head is pounding and he thinks more sleep will do him good. He pulls the blankets tight around him, keeping the volume so low he can barely hear it, and closes his eyes waiting for sleep to overtake him. 

He wakes up a couple of hours later, feeling groggy and disoriented and his head pounding even more than before. 

He allows himself to just lay there for a while, but eventually he pushes himself up and heads for the kitchen. He opens the fridge and gets out another bottle of Gatorade and an orange. He takes a few sips, and then sets to work peeling the orange. 

Once it’s peeled he eats it carefully, and then heads back to the living room. He grabs his blanket and then heads for his bedroom. He stumbles down the hallway and opens the door to his room, keeping the lights off as he heads for his bed. 

He makes himself take another sip of the Gatorade and then he collapses on the bed, drifting back off to sleep. 

He wakes back up to the sound of his bedroom door opening and the smell of food. He blinks his eyes awake and stretches out, testing how he feels. 

He still feels achy and his nose is stuffy but his headache isn’t as bad and he doesn’t think he has a fever anymore. 

“Hey,” Auston says, quietly, “I made you some soup.” 

“You made it?” 

“Well...I heated up some of the tortilla soup we had in the freezer from the last time my mom was here.” 

“Dude, no, that’s your favorite,” Mitch says, sitting up. “I can’t eat that.” 

“It’s not a big deal,” Auston says, shrugging his shoulders. “This always makes me feel better when I’m sick and I want you to feel better.” 

Mitch can’t help the giant grin that breaks over his face at that, and he says, “Well... if you’re sure.” 

“I’m sure,” Auston says, coming the rest of the way into the room. He puts the tray he was holding on Mitch’s lap and then says, “Where is your laptop?”

“In my backpack,” Mitch says, gesturing to where it is on the floor. 

Auston gets it out and opens it up while Mitch takes a bite of the soup. It’s hot, and spicy and delicious and so perfectly good that Mitch moans a little as Auston places the laptop beside him on the bed. 

“Well there you go,” Auston says. “You got soup and crackers more Gatorade and an episode of _Nailed It_. So, I’ll go, yeah? Let you rest.” 

“No, stay, please,” Mitch says. “I mean you don’t have to because I don’t want you to get sick, but I’ve been alone and bored all day.”

“Yeah,” Auston says, and when Mitch looks over at him he’s got a small smile on his face. “I’ll stay.” 

He climbs into the bed next to Mitch, placing the laptop on his lap and Mitch smiles at him before he goes back to eating. 

Mitch eats mostly in silence, only pausing a few times to answer a question from Auston about how he feels or to ask Auston how his day was. And when he finishes Auston picks the tray up off his lap and moves it to the floor beside the bed. 

“You should get some more sleep,” Auston says. “I’ll leave you alone.” 

“No, stay,” Mitch says, snuggling down into the bed. 

Auston rolls his eyes like he’s annoyed, but settles into the bed too, shutting off _Nailed It_ and putting Mitch’s laptop on the floor. 

“Hey, Auston?” Mitch asks as they both get comfortable beside each other. 

“Yeah,” Auston says, looking over at him. 

“Why were you so nice to me today?” 

“Because you were sick,” Auston says. “Duh.” 

“Okay, but when my friends are sick I tell them that sucks and maybe bring them a can of soup. I don’t heat them up some of the special soup my mom made me that I usually guard with my life. So.” 

“Well maybe I’m just nicer than you.” 

“Maybe,” Mitch concedes. “Or….” he pauses and then he sings, “You want to kiss me. You want to hug me. You want to love me.” 

“You stole that move from _Miss Congeniality_ ,” Auston says. “You aren’t slick.” 

Mitch laughs, and Auston says, “But I do like you,” which causes Mitch’s laughter to come to an abrupt end and his eyes to widen. 

Auston lets his hand come to rest on Mitch’s chin, and starts to lean in. 

“Wait, I’m sick,” Mitch says, resting his fingertips on Auston’s hip. 

Auston laughs quietly and says, “I’ll risk it,” as he leans in the rest of the way and kisses Mitch softly. 

Auston’s lips are warm against Mitch’s, and Mitch’s head spins a little in the best way, and he knows he’s smiling as Auston pulls away. 

“That was okay, right?” Auston asks. 

“It was great,” Mitch says. 

“Good,” Auston says, “Now get some sleep.” 

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me on twitter [@overturnedgoal](http://twitter.com/overturnedgoal).


End file.
